Special Education Staff Cuts Raise Questions

According to emails sent by Superintendent Robert Cronin, the special education staff in North Haven's public schools will be reduced from 35 to 26 positions.

"The 2011-2012 education budget funds thirty-five special education teaching positions," writes Cronin. "After careful review, I believe we can meet the needs of our special education students using twenty-six of the thirty-five positions for special education without compromising services."

In May, a letter was distributed to elementary school parents pledging that no cuts in staffing would be made. During the lead-up to the referendum, Acting Superintendent Patricia Brozek repeatedly made promises that despite the education budget rising by a little more than 1%, service would be maintained at 2010-2011 levels.

In a video posted by North Haven News today, Cronin goes on record saying that the nine teachers affected by the cut will be reassigned to other roles in the school system. He goes on to note, however, that if those teachers do not have certification in fields other than special education, they may be let go. Watch Christopher Kirby's report on the situation here.

Further complicating the issue is a Focused Monitoring Report on the school system's special education programs issued in April posted today by North Haven Way that finds problems in departmental communication within the district, and identifies several special education teachers setting low expectations for students under their supervision.

The report states: "Because special education teachers are split among teams and grade levels, general education teachers noted the difficulty in in coordinating supports and instruction for students with disabilities as they were working with multiple special education teachers. The absence of collaboration and meeting time between general education teachers, special education teachers, paraprofessionals, and unified arts teachers working with students with disabilities is also an area of concern. The district currently does not have a strategic plan."

The document also outlines several recommendations for remediation, including the alignment of school and district level plans for special education, and the expansion of collaboration between teachers working with special needs children.

It does not outline a suggestion to remove or reassign teachers from special education.

The report can be read in full here.

North Haven currently outplaces a number of special education students to nearby schools, a program sponsored in part by the state. But the level of payouts for outplacement can vary from year to year.

In winter of 2010-2011, Brozek made statements alluding to a desire to bring as many special education students back into the district as possible. With Cronin's staff reductions looming, it is difficult to see how such reintegration could take place.

Stay tuned for updates as the story develops.